Russian broadcaster Channel One has confirmed that the EBU failed to resolve the issues surrounding the ban of their artist Yulia Samoylova. Therefore Russia is not able to take part in the Eurovision Song Contest 2017 in Kiev.

According to an interview in the Swiss paper Blick, the outgoing Director General of the European Broadcasting Union has given the authorities in Ukraine an ultimatum. They must find a solution to let Russia take part in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, or Ukraine might [read more…]

“The EBU will ensure that Russia can participate in the Eurovision Song Contest”. This says Eurovision Reference Group chairman Frank-Dieter Freiling in an interview with Der Tagesspiegel. “We have made it very clear to Ukraine that we expect all participants to be able to compete.”

San Marino, the smallest nation that takes part in the Eurovision Song Contest, has released a public statement about the decision of host country Ukraine to ban Russia’s participant Yulia Samoylova to enter the country.

Now that Russian broadcaster Channel One decided not to use the offer to let Yulia Samoylova perform through a satellite connection, the Executive Supervisor of the contest has another idea to let Russia take part as planned.